Shoe and process for making the same



June 4, 1968 c.F. BATCHELDER ET As. 3,386,116

SHOE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME 5 Sheets-Sheetl Filed May 7, 1963 INVENTORS CHARLES E BATCHELDER BY JEROME A. RUBICO ATTORNEYS June 4, 1968 v c. F, BATCHELDER ET AL 3,386,116

SHOE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME Filed May 7, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet -2 Flea FIG? 34 ,22 22\34 lf/////////l/// ///,1 W// 26 26 FIGS INVENTORS CHARLES E B/:rcHELDER Y JEROME A. RuBlco B MMV@- ATTQRNEYS c. F. BATCH ELDER ET Ax. 3,386,116

June 4, 1968 SHOE AND PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 7, 196s F l G. |2

Jaw "fr Il( l r I `-l :Agi y sa/l/ fra 24 O'2o FIG. 14

INVENTORS RLES F. BATCHELDER OME A. RUBICO l Eidg, YW

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,386,116 SHGE AND PROCESS FOR MAKWG THE SAME Charles F. Batchelder, Milton, and Jerome A. Rublco,

Boston, Mass., assignors to Batchelder-Rubico, Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts.

Filed May 7, 1963, Ser. No. 278,568 3 Claims. (Cl. 12-142) This invention relates to shoes and shoemaking; and more particularly to an unusually flexible and light shoe, together with the process for making the same.

In the shoe industry it has long been known that an extremely light, flexible and comfortable shoe could be made by the so-called turned shoe process. In the turned shoe process the outsole is placed on the last inside out, and the upper, also inside out, is then lasted to it. Thereafter with the entire shoe in a soft, moist state, the shoe is turned right-side out and again mounted on the last for final shaping. Since the resulting turned shoe comprises but a single sole member between the shoe bottom and the foot of the wearer extending the whole way from the toe and the heel, such a shoe is extremely light, flexible and comfortable. However, the turned shoe process is difficult and expensive to perform, and the shoe itself tends to be structurally weak along the seam line between the lasting margin of the upper and the sole. Accordingly although the turned shoe is exceedingly comfortable, it has fallen into disuse. In fact, with the exception of a few isolated instances in slippers and athletic shoes, it has practically disappeared from the market.

A general object of our invention, therefore, is to provide a shoe with lightness, iiexibility and comfort of the turned shoe without its structural disadvantages, and to provide a process for making such a shoe at a cost substantial-ly less than conventional Goodyear welt shoes and even less than cement shoes currently on the market.

We accomplish this general object of our invention in a preferred embodiment thereof by building the shoe around an element which we call a skeletal rand insole. This insole element performs the conventional function of an insole in that it is placed on the last and the upper is lasted to it. However, it differs from the conventional insole in that it only occupies the area of the youter margin of the insole. Thus when the outsole is attached to the shoe, an extremely light, flexible and comfortable shoe results because the outsole is the only element (other than the sock lining) across the central part of the shoe between the bottom of the shoe and the foot of the wearer.

`It is a feature of our invention that the structural weakness of the turned shoe is avoided by providing a substantial overlap between the lasting margin of the upper and the skeletal rand insole. This overlap provides an essentially -wide and ample surface for permanent cement bonding. The overlap, however, also results initially in a bunching and wrinkling of the leather of the lasting margin of the upper in the curved areas of the heel and toe of the shoe; and it is accordingly a further feature of our invention that the excess wrinkled upper material caused by this bunching is eliminated by a roughing operation, thereby rendering the remaining upper margin material relatively dat, but without weakening or impairing the firmness of the bond between the upper and the skeletal rand insole around the entire periphery of the shoe.

Another feature of our invention relating to the shoe itself, in one embodiment thereof, is that the skeletal rand insole and lasting margin of the upper combine to provide an extra thickness of material around the inner periphery of the shoe tapering toward the center of the 3,386,116 Patented June 4, 1968 'ice sole, and that this extra thickness occupies the upturned curve of the margin of the last while permitting the margin of the outsole to assume a relatively flat, horizontal position. This is additionally advantageous when, in one embodiment of our invention, the skeletal rand insole is formed by cutting it from the same piece of leather or other material which is to be employed as the outsole of a given shoe. Also when this latter arrangement is employed, the natural tit lbetween the skeletal rand insole and the outsole from which it was cut renders the shoe uniquely compact and smooth; and hence comfortable.y

Still another feature of our invention is that the natural flexibility 0f the shoe through the shank area permits the elimination of the conventional metallic arch stiffeners. This in turn permits the use of a more elevated arch-conforming last which contributes still further to the comfort of the wearer. Without the metal stiffener and with an elevated arch, the shoe exes so readily that it seems to hug the wearers foot. This is particularly important when the shoes are new because it virtually eliminates the highly objectionable heel chang often encountered with new shoes.

The features of the process of our invention stern basically from our discovery that a thin and limp skeletal rand insole extending around the full periphery of the last bottom can be made suliiciently secure on the last by adhesive spotting or by the use of adhesive tapes to provide an adequate support for cement lasting. There are several reason-s why the skeletal rand insole can withstand the stresses of lasting. In the first place, since it extends around the entire periphery of the last, longitudinal stresses applied to the rand insole around the toe of the shoe are resisted by oppositely acting longitudinal forces at the heel. In the shank area of the shoe the lasting Ystresses applied to the rand insole pull transversely; and since the rand insole has very little resistance to such transverse pulling, the adhesive tapes or adhesive bonding between the rand insole and the last form the entire resistance to such forces. However, since the rand insole is flexible and lies iiat against the bottom of the last, these transverse forces are applied almost entirely to the adhesive bond in shear and to the tapes in tension. With these arrangements the maximum strength of the respective -components is derived.

In our process after lasting but before the outsole is applied, the adhesive bond or tape connection may be broken and the shoe will hold its shape until the outsole is applied. Also since the adhesive connection between the skeletal rand insole and the last has been broken, the last may then be readily removed from the finished shoe. The advantages flowing from this discovery are numerous. For instance, it permits us completely to avoid the laborious and time consuming tacking and tack-pulling operations of the prior art, together with their concomitant disadvantages of wear and tear on the last as well as diiculties arising from the breakage of tacks during driving or pulling. Another feature of one embodiment of the process of our invention is that the skeletal rand insole may he cut from the same piece of material intended for use as the outsole of a given shoe. As above stated, this contributes to the comfort of the shoe, but in addition, it means that a substantial saving of material can be made. Basically, however, the principal feature of the invention is its overall simplicity and the ease with which it permits the manufacture of a shoe which has all of the advantages of comfort of a turned shoe without its structural disadvantages.

Further objects and features of our invention will best be understood and appreciated with reference to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a cross sectional view in side elevation of the finished shoe of our invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view in end elevation along the lines 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the heel area of the shoe after lasting and before roughing;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view along the lines 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view identical to FIG. 4 except that it shows the elements after toughing;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view in end elevation of the pre-rounded sole employed in our invention prior to randing;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view in end elevation of the pre-rounded sole of our invention after randing;

FIG. S is an exploded view of the elements shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the elements shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the skeletal rand insole of our invention applied to a last by four spaced tapes;

FIG. 1l is a view in cross section showing the skeletal rand insole placed on the last;

FIG. 12 shows the elements of FIG. 11 with the skeletal rand insole secured to the last by means of an adhesive tape;

FIG. 13 shows the elements of FIG. 12 with the upper cement lasted to the skeletal rand insole;

FIG. 14 shows the elements of FIG. 13 and depicts a knife cutting7 the tape after the upper has been lasted and dried, but before the outsole has been applied; and

FIG. 15 shows the elements of FIG. 14 with the outsole attached thereto.

A preferred embodiment of the shoe of our invention is shown in FIG. 1 in which a last 20 is depicted having applied thereto a skeletal rand insole 22 which extends around the entire periphery of the bottom of the last (see also FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. l an upper 24 is applied to the last 2t) and is cement lasted to the skeletal rand insole 22. For purposes of illustration, the lower portion of the upper 24 is cut away to expose the interior construction of the shoe. An outsole 26 is in turn cemented to the lasting margin of the upper 24 and to the inwardly extending margin of the skeletal rand insole 22, as may be more clearly seen in FIG. 2. Finally a heel 28 is applied to complete the shoe.

During lasting the material of the upper 24 wrinkles and bunches around the toe and heel portions as is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The raised portions of upper material are designated by the numeral 30; and since they would otherwise be a source of discomfort in the shoe, they are cut olf by a roughing operation to provide a smooth surface as shown in FIG. S. Thereafter the outsole 26 is applied to the shoe.

The resulting shoe is an unusually comfortable shoe due to the fact that the outsole is the only element (other than the sock lining) from one end of the shoe to the other between the foot of the wearer and the shoe bottom. Accordingly the shoe is extremely flexible, light and comfortable. It is far stronger in construction than the oldfashioned turned shoe, because the lasting margin of the upper 24 extends around under the skeletal rand insole 22 for a substantial distance and thereby provides an ample and secure overlapping area for permanent adhesive contact. This also is true in the areas of the toe and heel despite the fact that the wrinkles 30 have been cut away by roughing. It will be seen in FIG. 3 that even though the raised wrinkles 30 are cut away, substantial portions of upper material, indicated by the numeral 32, extend throughout the area of adhesive bond to the periphery of the shoe. In this way an extremely secure connection is made without in any way impairing the advantages of lightness and flexibility of the shoe.

With reference to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the outsole 26 has a tapered or reduced margin. It will be understood that such a configuration is optional, and will be employed when the styling of the shoe calls for a minimum exposed edge. However, in the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it will be seen that there is a cooperative relationship between the skeletal rand insole 22, the lasting margin of the upper 24 and the reduced margin of the outsole 26. These elements combine to ll the slight upward taper of the last around its bottom periphery so that when the outsole 26 is cemented to the lasting margin of the upper 24 and the inwardly extending margin of the skeletal rand insole 22, all three elements tit together and permit the outsole 26 to remain in a relatively at condition during the steps of outsole application and compression. In order to accomplish this, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the skeletal rand insole 22 must have an inwardly tapering wedge configuration. However, in other embodiments of our invention where the minimum edge thickness of outsole is not a desired feature of style, then a flat and thin skeletal rand insole may be employed; and in such a case the reduced thickness of the rand insole, together with the thickness of the upper lasting margin, are sufficient to ll the raised peripheral margin of the last and thereby permit the application of a relatively flat outsole. It will be understood additionally that the shoe of our construction can be made employing the element 26 as a midsole with a second outsole applied thereto.

The materials employed in the shoe of our invention are not particularly critical. Thus any suitable upper material maybe employed, and likewise various types of sole material including leather, rubber and other synthetic materials may be used. The skeletal rand insole may be leather or rubber, or even fabric such as Gem Duck cut to suitable shape.

The process of our invention is depicted generally in FIGS. 6-14. The basic element of the shoe is the above depicted skeletal rand insole 22. As above stated, this element may be made in various ways and may be even cut from a suitable fabric, such as Gem Duck. However, in one preferred embodiment of our invention, we preround the outsole 26 and thereafter cut from it a suitable skeletal rand insole 22, while simultaneously reducing the exposed peripheral margin of the outsole 26. Since the skeletal rand insole 22 will occupy a smaller area within the shoe, a portion 34 is cut away from the skeletal rand insole 22 and discarded.

Once the skeletal rand insole 22 is conformed, the steps of the process are shown in sequence in FIGS. 11- 14 as follows.

Step 1.-The skeletal rand insole Z2 is applied to the last. Since it is relatively flexible, it readily adapts to the contour of the last, seating downwardly and substantially filling the curved part of the margin `of the last indicated at 36 in FIG. 11.

Step 2.--The skeletal rand insole 22 is next xed to the last 20 by means of adhesive or adhesive tape. We have found that adhesive spotted at four spaced points along each side of the last provides an adequate bond to hold the skeletal rand insole 22 Iin place during the lasting operation. For this purpose we have employed a latex-based cement sold by the Cambridge Chemical Company under their designation No. 1366. When this cement is allowed to dry on the surface of the rand insole 22 for about three minutes until the white color disappears, it can then be stuck to the last 20 sufciently to hold the skeletal rand insole 22 in place during lasting, but without creating such a permanent bond that the last cannot thereafter be removed from the shoe subsequent to a hand breaking of the bon-d after lasting, as will be explained in further detail below. A second method we have employed successfully in holding the skeletal rand insole 22 on the last 20 has been by the use of strips of a paper adhesive tape sold by the Permacel Company under their designation P. 70. This tape has relatively good strength in tension but tears rather easily. As shown in FIG. 10,

fou-r strips 38 of this adhesive tape are applied to the skeletal rand insole 22 at the toc, ball, shank and heel, respectively, of the shoe and hold the same on the last 20, as may be seen in FIG. 12.

Step 3.-With the skeletal rand insole 22 thus applied to the last 20, the upper 24 is then cement lasted to the skeletal rand insole 22, as may be seen in FIG. 13.

Step 4.-Next comes the roughing operation described above with relation to FIGS. 3-5 for the purpose of smoothing out the wrinkles 30 of accumulated upper material Varound the toe and heel portions of the shoe.

Step 5.-The adhesive bond ybetween the skeletal rand insole 22 and the last 20 is now broken by inserting a knife between the skeletal rand insole 22 and the last 20 and running it around the shoe. In a similar fashion, the tapes 30 can be broken along the point of junction between the skeletal rand insole 22 and the last 20.

Step 6.-After lasting and after the -bond between the skeletal rand insole 22 and last 20 has been broken, the outsole 26 is applied to the shoe.

It will be understood that when leather uppers are lasted, they normally are slightly moist or tempered to facilitate change of shape of the leather around the last, and that the leather tends to contract as the leather dries out after lasting. Therefore, in the process of our invention, we contemplate two separate modes of operation. The first of which includes permitting the leather to dry on the last prior to cutting the tapes or breaking the adhesive bond; and second, to cut the tapes immediately after lasting and shortly thereafter to apply the outsole to the shoe prior to any substantial change in shape due to contraction of the leather during drying.

Other conventional shoemaking steps, both before and after the foregoing, are, of course, performed in the usual manner.

Although a substantial saving in material and a more comfortable shoe can be made with the process of our invention by cutting the skeletal rand insole 22 from the same outsole as intended for application to a given shoe, it will be understood that the process of our invention can be employed in other ways. Thus the skeletal rand insole may be molded to appropriate shape from synthetic materials, or it maybe cut from a flat insole or fabric element as above described.

The material of the tapes 38 is not critical so long as it can be easily torn or cut after the upper 24 has been lasted to the skeletal rand insole 22. The same is true of the adhesive employed in spotting the skeletal rand insole 22 to the last 20. In one embodiment of our invention, however, we omit the tape cutting or adhesive bond breaking step after lasting, and in this case a relatively weak tape material or adhesive is ydesirable in order to permit the last to be removed from the shoe after sole laying. The above-stated specific materials are suitable for this latter purpose. In another embodiment of our invention, we rely on the roughing step to sever, and virtually remove the tape. This latter embodiment has the added advantage of simultaneously cleaning the severed portion of the tape from the bottom of the last, a step which would otherwise require extra handling.

Accordingly since these and other variations of the product and process of our invention will now be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, it -is not our intention to limit the same in accordance with the precise form of the embodiments herein shown, but rather to limit it in terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described and disclosed preferred embodiments of our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1, The process of shoemaking which comprises: forming a thin, exible, full, one piece skeletal rand insole; applying said rand insole to a last; temporarily adhesively securing said rand insole to said last; moistening an upper and lasting said upper to said temporarily secured rand insole; breaking the temporary bond between the rand insole and the last while the upper is still in a moist, tempered state employed for lasting and thereafter applying a sole element to the shoe prior to any substantial change of dimension in said upper due to contraction caused by drying; and, finally removing said last.

2. The process of shoemaking which comprises: forming a thin, flexible, full, one piece skeletal rand insole; applying said rand insole to a last; temporarily adhesively securing said rand insole to said last by means of frangible adhesive tape secured to said rand and extending entirely across the open interior area 0f said insole defined by the inner periphery of said rand; lasting an upper to said temporarily secured rand insole; breaking the temporary bond between said rand insole and said last; applying a sole element to the shoe; and, thereafter removing said last.

3. The process of shoemaking which comprises: forming a thin, flexible, full, one piece skeletal rand insole; applying said rand insole to a last; temporarily adhesively securing said rand insole to said last by means of frangible adhesive tape secured to said rand and extending entirely across the open interior area of said insole dened by the inner periphery of said rand; lasting an upper to said temporarily secured rand insole; and, simultaneously removing said last from the shoe and breaking the temporary bond between said rand insole and said last.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,342,467 6/1920 Stewart 12-142 1,470,651 10/1923 Stewart 12-142 X 2,027,737 l/1936 Laible 12--142 2,090,019 8/1937 Bain 12-142 2,701,887 2/-1955 Nolan 12--142 1,825,191 9/1931 Lumbard 12-146 2,688,758 9/1954 Rubico 12--142 3,133,360 .5/1964 Taylor 36-17 Re. 20,2173 2/19137 Sbicca l12-142 2,090,019 8/1937 Bain 12--142 2,144,330 1/1939 Farrington 12-142 2,320,475 6/ 1943 Ryan 12-142 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

H. H. HUNTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE PROCESS OF SHOEMAKING WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A THIN, FLEXIBLE, FULL, ONE PIECE SKELETAL RAND INSOLE; APPLYING SAID RAND INSOLE TO A LAST; TEMPORARILY ADHESIVELY SECURING SAID RAND INSOLE TO SAID LAST; MOISTENING AN UPPER AND LASTING SAID UPPER TO SAID TEMPORARILY SECURED RAND INSOLE; BREAKING THE TEMPORARY BOND BETWEEN THE RAND INSOLE AND THE LAST WHILE THE UPPER IS STILL IN A MOIST, TEMPERED STATE EMPLOYED FOR LASTING AND THEREAFTER APPLYING A SOLE ELEMENT TO THE SHOE PRIOR TO ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE OF DIMENSION IN SAID UPPER DUE TO CONTRACTION CAUSED BY DRYING; AND, FINALLY REMOVING SAID LAST. 